Newsletter 2019 August

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS N e w s Native Plant Society of Texas, North Central Chapter P Newsletter S Vol 31, Number 8, August 2019 O ncc npsot newsletter logo newsletter ncc npsot © 2018 Troy & Martha Mullens & Martha © 2018 Troy Purple Coneflower — Echinacea sp. T Meeting in August Aug 1, 2019 program will be Native gardens of our members “Native gardens of our members” Normal Meeting Times: 6:00 Social, 6:30 Business 7:00 Program

Redbud Hall Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Chapter of the Year (2016/17) Visit us at This year our presenters will be Karen Harden, Kim Conrow and Vicki Kygar who will take us on fun and informative ncnpsot.org & photo tours of their native gardens in various seasons. www.txnativeplants.org Index Chapter Leaders Flower of the Month, False Dragonhead by Josephine Keeney ...... p. 3f President — Karen Harden Demonstration Gardens [email protected] by Josephine Keeney ,,,,,,...... ,,,,,,,,, p. 5ff Past President — Kim Conrow Activities & Volunteering for July 2019 Vice President & Programs — by Martha Mullens ...... p. 8ff Ray Conrow Membership by Donna Honkomp ...... p. 10 Recording Secretary — Debbie Stilson Purple Coneflower, NICE! Plant of the Season Treasurer — Vanessa Wojtas by Dr. Becca Dickstein ...... p. 11 Answer to last month’s puzzle and a new puzzle ...... p. 12 Hospitality Chair — Corinna Benson “August Calendar” Page by Troy Mullens ...... p. 13 Membership Chair — Donna Honkomp Butterfly Magnets by Erika Choffel ...... p. 14f Events Chair — Chairperson needed NPSOT Symposium Grant ...... p. 16 NICE! Coordinator — Rozanna Francis Ft. Worth Nature Center & Refuge awarded grant ... p. 16 Plant Sales Coordinators - Gailon Hardin, Officer Nominations by Eric Johnson ...... p. 16 Sandy Fountain & Josephine Keeney Standing Rules Revisions by Martha Mullens ...... p. 16 Education/Outreach Chair — Bill Freiheit Volunteers needed for Home & Garden Show By Vanessa Wojtas ...... p. 17 Webmaster — Frank Keeney Hospitality Report by Corinna Benson ...... p. 17 Field Trips — Eric Johnson Wild Poinsettia by Martha Mullens ...... p. 18f Speaker’s Bureau — Theresa Thomas Plant Communication by Martha Mullens ...... p. 20f Donations/Grants Chair — Laura Penn Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies Parliamentarian — Martha Mullens By Martha Mullens ...... p. 22f Facebook Manager — Sandra Fountain Parting Shots, News & Views by the Editors Newsletter Editor — Troy Mullens (Take Note: Important news here !) ...... p. 24ff NC Texas Pollinator Garden Plants ...... p. 28 [email protected] Worth repeating ...... Assistant Newsletter Editor — Half-Earth Pledge by E.O. Wilson ...... p. 29 Martha Mullens Join NPSOT, Mission Statement, May Program ...... p. 30 Southwest Subcourthouse Garden Leaders Gailon Hardin & Dawn Hancock Native Plant Gardens at the Southwest Regional Library Leaders — Theresa Thomas & Char McMorrow Molly Hollar Wildscape Garden Leader — Ann Knudsen News Flash Fielder House Garden Leaders — ******************** Josephine Keeney & Jane Osterhuis Publicity Chair — Vicki Gleason Watch your native plants. NLCP Classes Coordinator — With the hot weather,

False Dragonhead, Physostegia digitalis Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

This lovely strong plant is one of the obedient plant group. The leaves which are oval shaped distinguish it from other obedient plants which have leaves that are long and pointed.

The pink flowers are large and the flower spikes are very large with many side-blooming shoots that sometimes bloom at the leaf nodes, all along the stem.

The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds and even little lizards perhaps looking for a meal.

It can reach 3-6 feet in height and presents a very impressive display during the hot days of summer, when other plants are taking a break.

This perennial grows best in part shade and likes plenty of water during hot spells since its natural habitat is moist areas or close to water.

More Photos on Page 4

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 3 False Dragonhead — Flower of the Month for August

Continued from Page 3

Photos by Josephine Keeney

Do you see the anole looking for a meal ?

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 4 Demonstration Gardens by Josephine Keeney

Fielder House - Garden Tour and Presentation

Our Garden Tour and Presentation were a great success! 53 brave people showed up in spite of the heat and a few people had to stand because the room couldn’t hold that many chairs. It is very rewarding to see people wanting to learn about Texas Native Plants for Pollinators, so it looks like our work is well received, and we haven’t labored in vain. The full house

Hester Schwarzer our Greeter Kim Conrow and Charley Amos

Fielder House Garden Tour Photos (cont. Next page)

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 5 Demonstration Gardens by Josephine Keeney

Fielder House Garden Tour Photos

People checking out plants. More checking of plants

The Garden Gate The happy butterflies Josephine Keeney and Corinna Benson

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 6 Demonstration Gardens by Josephine Keeney

OS Gray Natural Area

Jane Oosterhuis and Josephine Keeney with zexmenia, horsemint, flame acanthus and sunflowers.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 7 August 2019 Activities - by Martha Mullens

BRIT Registration Required. Sat., Aug. 3 10 AM-3 PM Compost Master Class ($75 members/$85 non-members) Sat., Aug. 3 10 AM-12 PM Water Efficient Lawns & Landscape Care ($20 members/$25 nonmembers) There will be numerous classes available in September.

Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge fwnaturecenter.org. ($5 Fee Non-members, Members Free:) Weekends: 9-11:00 AM Nature Hikes August 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 Wednesdays: 9-11:00 AM Walk with Naturalist August 7, 14, 21, 28 Sun., Aug. 4 1:30-3:00 PM Snakes Sat., Aug. 17 1:30-3:00 PM Edible Plants Sat., Aug. 24 10:30-11:30 AM Tenacious Texan (prickly pear) Sun., Aug. 25 1:30-3:00 PM Invading Organisms Sat., Aug. 31 1:30-2:30 PM Women of Wildlife

Native Prairies Association of Texas Fort Worth Chapter Northwest Campus TCC, Fort Worth Room WACB 1123 Mon., August 12. No meetup Wed., Aug. 21 Benbrook Lake-Environmentally Sensitive Area Designation

Cross Timbers Master Naturalist FWBG Mon., Aug.19 7PM Grapevine’s Sea Turtle Rescue Hospital Krista Huebner

Tarrant County Master Gardener Association Thurs., Aug. 1 10 AM Mike Tinius, Tinius Floral House Plants 101, 102 and 103 Sat., Aug. 3 9:30-11:30 AM NRH Fall Gardening Seminar, NRH Library Thurs., Aug. 15 7-8 PM Native & Drought Tolerant Landscape, Grapevine BG

North Central Chapter of Native Plant Society of Texas Thurs., August 1 6:30 PM 3 members will discuss their native gardens . Board Meeting: August 27 6:30 PM FWBG

No field trips will be scheduled until weather is cooler. See page 24 for potential fall field trips.

Volunteer Opportunities Cont. on Page 9

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 8 August 2019 Volunteer* Opportunities - by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 8

Volunteer* at our Demonstration Gardens

Fielder House Butterfly Garden 1616 W Abram St, Arlington Leaders: Josephine Keeney, Jane Osterhuis, Charlie Amos 2nd & 4th Mondays 9-12 August 12, 26

Molly Hollar Wildscape Veterans Park, Arlington Leader: Ann Knudsen (Josephine Keeney) 1st Sat: August 3 (most Saturdays) Every Wed.: August 7, 14, 21, 28 9 AM-noon

Knapp Heritage Park Pollinator Garden 201 West Front Street, Arlington First Monday: August 5 9 AM-noon (contact Josephine Keeney)

River Legacy Park 701 NW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington Volunteer Manager: Sherrie Ripple 3rd Monday: August 19 9 AM-noon (contact Josephine Keeney) Opportunities on website: riverlegacy.org or call 817-860-6752 ext. 109 or [email protected] 817-459-5474

OS Gray Natural Area 2nd Saturday: August 10 9 AM-noon (contact Josephine Keeney)

Native Plant Gardens at SW Regional Library at Hulen 8 AM-noon, 4001Library Ln, Fort Worth Leaders: Theresa Thomas, Char McMorrow 2nd & 4th Thursdays: August 8, 22

SW Tarrant Co. Sub Courthouse* 8:00AM-12:00 PM 6551 Granbury Rd, Fort Worth Leaders: Gailon Hardin, Dawn Hancock 2nd Sat.: August 10 last Wed.: August 28 * Workdays were missed due to weather so weeding will be every Wed. and Sat. at 8 AM

Volunteer at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge 9601 Fossil Ridge Rd, Fort Worth 76135 Volunteer Coordinator: Laura Veloz fwnc.org 817-392-7410 Volunteer Positions: Docent, Outdoor Conservationist (Natural Guard). Restoration Greenhouse, Visitor Center Host, Special Events, Animal Care

Volunteer at White Settlement Monarch Waystation Leaders: Sandy Fountain, Merita Knapp 3rd Sat. August 17

Volunteer for Native Prairies Association fortworthnpat.wordpress.com Volunteer Needs Cont. on Page 10

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 9 July 2019 Volunteer* Opportunities - by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 9

Volunteer at BRIT 1700 University Dr, Fort Worth 76107 Director of Volunteers: [email protected] Herbarium [email protected] Education [email protected] Library [email protected]

Maintain native plants, invasive plant control, maintain healthy habitats: Pollinator Pathways Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 9 AM-noon South Woods Tuesdays 9 AM-noon Tinsley Rock Springs Fridays 9:30 AM-noon

* Note: Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners can get volunteer hours for work performed.

Membership by Donna Honkomp

Membership has added a Comments, Sugges- "We are looking for the next Membership Coor- tions, and Question Box at our table. Please feel dinator for the North Central Chapter-NPSOT. free to submit your inquiry. For a personal re- If you are interested, please send your contact sponse, please add your contact information and information to [email protected] we will reply back to you. Any other information and we will reply back to you." will be provided in our upcoming newsletter. If you are unable to attend a meeting, you can also send any Comments, Suggestions, and Questions The current North Central Chapter membership to [email protected] on July 14th, 2019 is 204 members.

Please continue to help us spread the word about native plants and invite your friends, cowork- ers & family members to join the North Central Chapter-NPSOT.

To join go to www.txnativeplants.org, then click on “About”, and then click on “How to Join”.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 10 NICE! Plant of the Season Reported by Rozanna Francis

Plant of the Season, Sponsored by the North Central Chapter, Native Plant Society of Texas NICE Plant Partners (Natives Improve and Conserve Environments) – Summer 2019 Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea: Part-shade to sun perennial

Description: Purple Coneflower is an herbaceous perennial in the sunflower family. It grows about 1-2 feet wide and 2-4 feet tall in bloom. Its dark green, hairy-rough, alternate or opposite leaves are up to 6” long and 3” wide, and are smaller at the top of the stems. Purple Coneflower is drought, heat and poor soil tolerant. Purple Coneflower’s common and genus names reflect its flower characteristics. Echinacea comes from the Greek echinos, meaning spiny or prickly, while purpurea refers to the petal color of wild Purple Coneflower. Coneflower describes the flower’s center shape.

Flowers and Seeds: Purple Coneflower blooms in late May and intermittently through the end of summer in North Texas. Its daisy-like flowers are held high on top of its stems. The showy flowers span 2.5-5 inches across. Each flower has 10-20 pink to Photo courtesy of Marilyn Blanton lavender ray florets surrounding a central yellowish- to reddish-brown cone of numerous disk florets. The cone may be flattened and is prickly. The ray petals lean downward with age. Numerous cultivars of Purple Coneflower are now available in nurseries, in different heights, petal colors ranging from white to deep orange to deep red and with different colored flower cones.

Planting sites: Purple Coneflower thrives in part shade to sun and a range of soil types.

Watering Instructions: During long dry spells, Purple Coneflower may appreciate supplemental water if planted in full sun. Like many other native Texas plants, it needs good drainage.

Comments: Purple Coneflower is great in border, meadow, prairie, cutting and native plant gardens, as well as woodland gardens in part-sun. The plants will grow in size each year and may be divided every 4-5 years by digging up the clump, lifting it out of the ground and breaking it apart by hand. This is important for propagating the cultivars, because they will not breed true from seed. Purple Coneflower may also be propagated by cuttings and will self-seed, if the spent flowers are not removed. Purple Coneflower attracts butterflies as well as native bees and its seed in the dried flowerheads feeds fall and winter birds. The cut flowers are long-lasting in bouquets. Various parts of Purple Coneflower are used as herbal medicine, but please don’t count on NICE for medical advice! Consider using Purple Coneflower instead of exotic Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) or African Daisies (Osteospermum) species. Companion plants for Purple Coneflower include Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). Look for NICE Plant of the Season signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating North Texas nursery. Thank you for using native plants in your landscapes.

www.media.txnativeplants.org Written by Becca Dickstein txnativeplants.org

North Central Chapter, Native Plant Society of Texas Meetings on the 1st Thursdays Feb thru Jun, Aug thru Dec @ Ft. Worth Botanic Gardens, Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center, Redbud Room, 6:30 p.m.

New Puzzle:

Can you name these very early Spring bloomers?

A small tree & A fragrant bush

Answer to Last Month's Puzzle: Bitterweed !!!

Golden dome center, 3-lobed petals. Threadlike leaves, but not Green-thread. I grew up on a small farm in East Texas. We had milk-cows and my Dad hated this plant. It made the milk bitter. (Well named) The fields and pastures are covered with this plant in late June and July.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 12 August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 13 Butterfly Magnets - by Erik Choffel

A fellow gardener donated 4 Gregg's Mistflowers, While most who garden with native plants know this Conoclinium (eupatorium) greggii plants to a garden plant very well, we have just recently met, and I am I was asked to install at a non-profit in Irving. I had once again surprised at the beauty and function of the never seen them, and must admit, in March, I was not native plants. These just needed a year to acclimate impressed. They looked stringy, overgrown, and some and show me their capabilities. were bending to the ground, and flowerless. The fel- In the past year, they have bloomed profusely, have low gardener, a professional landscaper, assured me gone nearly dormant, and have been thinned out suc- they would be a good addition. Since the “garden” cessfully to fill in more of the growing area of the gar- was at that time, weeds and grasses right up to the den. The clients who receive service at The Main Place brick building, and only recently tilled, I thought I’d are comforted at the sight, before they even get to the try them out. door. From April to November, they see light lavender blue flowers loaded with butterflies, especially in Sep- tember during the monarch migration. 2 They also “attract bees, bordered patch butterflies, common buckeyes, dark blue tigers (from Asia), hairstreaks, red admirals, skippers, sulphur butterflies, queens, and more….” 3 Also called Blue Mist Flower or Texas Ageratum, this plant in the Aster family is a Texas Native that is especially attractive to the Queen Monarch during Fall migration to Mexico. Other common names are Palmleaf Thoroughwort, Palm-leaf Mistflower, Palm- leaf Thoroughwort, Purple Palmleaf Mistflower, Purple Palmleaf Eupatorium. The leaves have deep divisions, with a similar look to Photos by Erika Choffel, taken at The Main Place1 ferns. 4 They grow slightly taller than wide, at a maxi- garden, Irving. mum height of about 3 feet, and width of about 2 feet. New transplant appears wilted and not worth any at- They spread by rhizomes and seeds. Propagation is tention above, but in just a few months, blossoms into easy: just pull or dig out a section and put into the soil. quite a spectacle. You can also take a cutting in the Summer or Fall or collect seeds in the Fall to plant after the last frost, but I prefer the least labor intensive method. And here’s the best part…pest and disease problems? None! Gregg's Mistflower is a perennial herb, “with pal- mate leaves deeply divided into three lobes which are again pinnately dissected. Small, purplish-blue flowers cluster together to form puffy, 2 inch, cush- ion-like flower heads.”5 It is a larval host for the Raw- son’s Metalmark butterfly (Calephelis rawsoni). It can withstand temperatures down to 0o Fahrenheit, but recovers quickly pruning or die back.

Continued on Page 15

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 14 Butterfly Magnets - by Erik Choffel Continued from Page 14

They prefer full sun and do well in drought conditions. With all the rain we had this Spring, these Gregg's Mistflowers are showing brown leaves at the bottom ½ of each stem, with prolific green leaves and flowers at the tip. They spread well (sometimes too well if over-watered), so if you want to limit their reach, plant them in a partitioned area or in a pot, but then you can’t ignore its minimal water needs, once it’s established.

1 The Main Place, Irving, http://www.themainpla- ceirving.org provides new clothing and personal items for homeless teens and individuals or families who are in need.

2 https://www.monarchwatch.org/read/faq2.htm

3 https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/butterfly-plants/conoclinium-greggii/

4 https://dcmga.com/north-texas-gardening/peren- nials/master-gardener-favorites/greggs-mist-flower/

5 https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_ plant=COGR10 This site also has an explanation of the name. In the 1840’s, Josiah Gregg travelled through Texas, and corresponded with botanist, George Engleman, for whom the Englemann Daisy is named (Engelmannia peristenia).

Other Sources: http://www.txsmartscape.com/plant-search/ plant-details.php?id=835

To read more about the monarch migration, try this one. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/10/ monarch-butterfly-migration/

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 15 NPSOT Symposium Grant by NCC NPSOT Board

Two Lucky Members Will Receive Grants to Attend the State NPSOT Symposium Donna Honkomp Membership Chair

Would you like to attend the state NPSOT symposium in League City, TX October 3-6, 2019, but you think you can’t afford it? Well, our chapter may be able to help. We are offering grants of $250 each to 2 lucky applicants who meet the conditions and turn in their applications by the deadline of August 25, midnight to [email protected]. The requirements of the entrants will then be reviewed by the Board on August 27, and the lucky winner will be notified ASAP by telephone and/or email and announced at the September 5 general meeting. The conditions for eligibility are: being a current member of NPSOT, having a desire to attend the state symposium, having attended some of the general meetings this year, and having volunteered this year to work at events or worked in one of the demonstration gardens or volunteered in any other capacity, such as bringing snacks or door prize items, or helped with the plant sale in any way. If you are interested, submit by midnight August 25 your full name, your current phone number and email address along with a list of all of your volunteer activities this year (to the best of your memory) to : [email protected]. Don’t worry if you have only volunteered a few hours, everyone who is interested will be considered. Members of the Board are not eligible to enter.

Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Awarded Grant

Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge has received a $13,000 grant from REI, after having won a customer poll conducted by the local retail outlet. The money is to be used for pedestrian bridges, and also to help pay for a summer intern. This announcement is taken from the City of Fort Worth news site.

Officer Nominationsby Eric Johnson Officer Elections are coming up. The nominating committee would like your recommendations for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Please give this due consideration. Nominees will be announced at the September meeting and a vote will be taken in November.

Standing Rules Revisions by Martha Mullens

Revisions of Standing Rules for North Central Chapter of NPSOT All members please review the revisions of the standing rules of NCC NPSOT that were emailed to you so that you can vote on them at the general meeting on Thursday, August 1.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 16 Volunteers Needed for Home & Garden Show, Aug 16-18 requested by Vanessa Wojtas

I'm looking for volunteers willing to do a 2-hour shift at the Fort Worth Home and Garden show. Parking fees will be reimbursed to volunteers, the same as last year. Times are be- low; please reply if you are free.

Also, I'm looking for someone to volunteer as the main contact for the weekend. Primarily this person will schedule to get the materials from me, setup and take down the materials, and then meet with me to return the events materials.

Thursday August 15 Last year there was a Thursday night setup window, but I have not heard details yet.

Friday August 16 1:30 setup 2-4pm 4-6pm

Saturday August 17 10am-12pm 12-2pm 2-4pm 4-6pm

Sunday August 18 11am-1pm 1-3pm 3-5pm Take down/clean-up

As always, feel free to write or call if you have any questions, concerns, etc.

Regards, Vanessa Wojtas 972-273-0766

June Hospitality Report by Corinna Benson

For the July board meeting we had Karen Harden and Debbie Stilson bringing snacks for Hospitality. For the August general meeting we will have: Karen Harden, Tracie Middleton and Vicki Brady bringing snacks. Editors note: Corinna does a great job. Be sure and tell her so after the meetings. She signed up for another year. Hooray !

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 17 Wild Poinsettia by Martha Mullens

A Christmas Flower in Summer will flourish there. It thrives in shade or sun Wild Poinsettia Euphorbia cyathophora and any type of soil, and rarely gets over 18 by Martha Mullens inches tall. It has an attractive growth pattern of branched stems that remind me of cande- Did you know that Texas can claim a native labra. I have never observed any butterflies on poinsettia? In most cases the bracts that are the plant, but it is visited by a lot of small in- red in the commercial variety are white in the sects, such as native flies and beetles. Texas one, but it is a poinsettia all the same. Native ones with red bracts are not as com- Wild poinsettia is a member of the family Eu- mon, but do occur. You don’t hear much about phorbiaceae (Spurge). In this family there are the wild poinsettia, and in fact it is not found about 8000 species in 313 genera worldwide, in most field guides. Eason’s book lists two mostly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. A species, but one grows further south than in number of species contain toxic alkaloids, and the North Central region. Probably this plant is not listed because the flowers are not very impressive like most wildflowers that we rec- ognize. The flowers are very small and en- closed in a cup. After fertilization the female flower extends a capsule of seeds which can be spread by the wind. As small as are the seeds, they are widespread in my yard.

Because the flowers are inconspicuous, you may not want wild poinsettia for your garden. However, it is just about the most drought tolerant plant that I know. I used to pull them up from my garden and yard where they ap- peared every year. Now I leave them because they stay green all summer into the fall when most everything else turns brown or dies back. it is only one of 4 families that contain plants They will survive the hot summer with no with stinging hairs. This family contains mem- supplemental watering and will even grow in bers who are useful medicinally as purgatives the cracks in the sidewalk. I wouldn’t recom- (castor bean) and some from which tapioca is mend replacing your prettier wildflowers or obtained and others produce latex. But also it the ones that attract butterflies with the wild has those that should be avoided, specifically poinsettia, but if you have a bare spot where in our area, bull nettle and nose burn. you can’t seem to grow other plants, this one Continued on Page 19

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 18 Wild Poinsettia by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 18

In between the two extremes are the ones late in the summer without its snow-on-the- with attractive flowers and/or leaves, snow-on prairie, Euphorbia bicolor, or snow-on-the- -the-prairie, snow-on-the-mountain, crotons, mountain? I always look forward to seeing and queen’s delight. Actually, most have small them. A field of them is a welcome sight. They flowers, but the over-all plant is pleasing to the grow well in disturbed soil of any type. How- eye and most attract insects with their pollen ever, with so much land being covered with and nectar. However, all produce a milky sap concrete in our area, about the only place you which can be irritating to the skin. Although find them now is in a fence row. considered poisonous as forage to cattle and deer, quail, dove, and some songbirds readily People ask how do you tell them apart? The eat the seeds of most plants in this family. most apparent difference is that snow-on-the- mountain has broader bracts and leaves. The Wild poinsettia has many common names, in- leaves of snow-on-the-prairie are very long cluding fire-on-the-mountain and fire plant, and thin. If you can’t get close enough to see both of which would refer to the ones with the the leaves or you are driving down the highway red bracts. None of the ones in my yard have and can’t stop to examine the plants, focus on ever had anything but white bracts. I like red, a group of plants. The snow-on-the-prairie in but these are attractive enough. a group seems denser to me while the snow- on-the-mountain seems more sparse with in- In North Central Texas, there are 15 genera of dividual plants more spindly. Euphorbia: 3-seeded mercury or copper leaf (7 species), creeping spurge (16 species), Tex- See page 25 in "Parting Shots" for photos of as bull nettle (1 species), croton (8 species), Snow on the Mountain and wild mercury (3 species), spurge (11 species), Snow on the Prairie. lepitopus (1 species), leaf-flower (5 species), reverchonia (1 species), castor bean (1 species This family deserves to be studied in more de- naturalized), Chinese tallow tree (nonnative) tail. The best sources are Wildflowers of Texas (1 species), queen’s delight (2 species), and by Geyata Ajilvsgi, Range Plants of North noseburn (4 species). More than you thought Central Texas, and, Shinner’s and Mahler’s at 61 species. Flora of North Central Texas. Michael Eason’s Wildflowers of Texas shows 5 plants from Eu- Unless you have a prairie remnant, you proba- phorbia: 2 wild poinsettias, but no snow-on- bly won’t use any of these in your garden. You the-mountain or snow-on-the-prairie. Online might be surprised (I was) that snow-on-the- check out the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower mountain, Euphorbia marginata, is actually Center plant database. cultivated and used by the floral trade in bouquets. Most of the euphorbias are not sought after for gardens. Yet, what would a field be

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 19 Plant Communication by Martha Mullens

Did you know that plants can communicate? A female botanist discovered that they can. Edited excerpt from online article: Brain Pickings by Martha Mullens Only recently have botanists become aware that synthesis as effectively. Trees haven’t developed a plants can communicate with each other through defense against clear cutting of forests, but if the the fungi (mycorrhizal mycelium) on their root hub (mother) trees survive they can help devel- systems. The person who discovered this is a opment of young plants more rapidly to replace woman biologist, Suzanne Simard*, a professor of the ones being chopped down by humans. How- forest ecology at the University of British Colum- ever, if the hub trees are cut down, the forest can’t bia, Canada. A book, The Hidden Life of Trees: re-establish itself. Lumber companies who are What They Feel, How They Communicate** by looking to the future of having healthy forests are Peter Wohlleben, is based on her research. taking these things into consideration, as well as, leaving ‘trash trees’, and not just planting a mono- Simard’s research has been done with trees, but culture of pines, cedars, or firs. A monoculture is other plants have been studied also, including more susceptible to disease and insect attacks. tomatoes and cotton. Communication is accom- plished with an exchange of sugars produced by Other plants have defenses inherent in their the plants and nutrients absorbed from the soil by structure, such as thorns, spines, stinging ‘hairs’ the fungi which are much more efficient at bring- and bad taste, or even poisons to deter predators. ing in nitrogen. With herbaceous plants this com- Some plants have gone beyond these protections munication is limited to plants of the same spe- and developed defensive methods. What is inter- cies, but with trees it is not. There are about 100 esting is that when a tomato plant is under attack species of fungi that grow on the roots of trees. by aphids, it notifies other plants and they pro- Any one tree may have 20 or 30. These fungi net- duce chemical inhibitors. When a cotton plant is works stretch out underneath the forest floor in attacked by caterpillars, it sends messages to its a complicated pattern. Some webs reach to a tree fellow cotton plants and they release chemicals close by and some to trees at great distances. into the air which attract parasitic wasps which lay eggs on the caterpillars which later consume What information is communicated? Environ- them, thus cutting down on the number of adults mental conditions, such as drought, and flooding which would produce more caterpillars. are passed on, but, most importantly, is the threat of attack from herbivores. How the trees respond Plants are under constant stress and attack. It is to these threats is astonishing. Leaves are dropped most amazing and intriguing that they have de- in drought, roots shrink up in flooding, chemical veloped such intricate ways of defending them- deterrents are produced when insects and other selves. Scientists have only begun to uncover the animals attack. They even absorb more carbon secrets about how plants ‘talk’ to each other. The dioxide when too much is in the atmosphere. world is full of amazing things yet to be discov- Mother trees nurture their seedlings by sending ered. excess carbon dioxide, especially if the seedlings are in the shade where they can’t perform photo- Continued on Page 21

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 20 Plant Communication by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 20

**If you are interested in The Hidden Life of Trees Her research is centered on understanding the book, it is available on Amazon and eBay for less vital relationships between plants, microbes, than $20. soils, carbon, nutrients and water that underlie the adaptability, resilience and recovery of eco- Note: check out the two very short videos: The Se- systems. She works primarily in forests, but also cret Language of Trees, and The Amazing Ways grasslands, wetlands, tundra and alpine ecosys- Plants Defend Themselves produced by Simard’s tems. She is particularly known for her work on students (TedEd) referred to in the original arti- belowground networks that connect the creatures cle. Also, if you are interested in the video, How of the forest, and how these are fundamental to Trees Talk to Each Other by Suzanne Simard on the complex adaptive nature of ecosystems. She YouTube, that really explains it all in detail. strives to communicate this research so that it is https://youtu.be/V4m9SefyRjg understandable and usable to all people. To that end, she is dedicated to empowering people with *Suzanne Simard, PhD, RPF, is Professor of Forest science-based knowledge and tools to manage Ecology, Department of Forest and Conservation and heal the land from human impacts including Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, University of British climate change. Columbia, Canada. At UBC, she has a vibrant research program, a teaching program focused on forest ecology and complexity science, and she is a strong contributor to the forestry profession in Canada. Her research is motivated by her desire for protecting our fundamental right to a clean and healthy environment. She contributes to this goal by conducting scientific research on the syn- ergies and complexities of our natural world and “There’ s nothing wrong with the development of sustainable land steward- having a tree as a friend”. ship practices that both conserve and protect the Bob Ross (TV art instructor for environment. Joy of Painting on PBS for over 10 years). He always put at least one tree in every painting.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 21 Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies by Martha Mullens

Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies Book Review by Martha Mullens

This book is so crammed with information and gation, Small Gardens, Pollinator-Friendly Plants in beautiful photographs that it almost takes my breath Deer Country, and many more intriguing subjects. away. I should have expected nothing less from Ro Wauer. Troy and I met him at a Butterfly Festival in Mission, Texas, a few years ago. After spending several days with him looking for butterflies, his expertise really impressed me. One day, Troy and I and 3 other people were searching for butterflies in this small garden of blooming shrubs and flowers. We could see butterflies flitting around, but together we had only identified about 10 species. Ro and his wife came up, and he pointed out about 60 in less than an hour. No joke. I was too excited to be intimidated. He is not that kind of person anyway. He is very un- assuming, but you soon learn that he is an expert.

I hadn’t realized that he knew so much about plants, but if you are going to be a successful butterfly hunt- er, you need to know where to look. Therefore, you need some knowledge of the plants that the adults feed on. If you are truly interested in the butterflies, then you will be concerned with their life history which then leads to an understanding of what plants are hosts to the larvae. Thus this book. Ro likes to share his knowledge. He has written 22 books and more than 170 nature articles for magazines and The expertise of the authors is awesome, but this is journals, mostly concentrating on birds and butter- supposed to be a book review. The authors call it a flies. Since he was in the National Park Service 32 field guide, but I would say that it is more of a refer- years, being stationed in different parts of the USA, ence to be consulted about which plants you would he has gained and shared knowledge from each want to put in your garden to attract butterflies to lay area. However, he got to Texas as fast as possible and eggs. Texas boasts over 5800 species of plants divided settled here to study and write about Texas birds, into more than 220 families. Although not all of the butterflies, and plants. families contain plants utilized by Texas butterflies as larval host plants, more than 40 families do. Some Jim and Lynne Weber are master naturalists and families provide hosts for only one or two butterfly native gardening enthusiasts who live in the Austin species, several are more popular. The most suitable area. They maintain a native habitat garden certified families are Poaceae, the grasses (over 100 species), by the National Wildlife Federation and have a web- Fabaceae, the peas or legumes (about 60), Ulmaceae, site/blog entitled Central Texas Gardener. Check out the elms and hackberries (over 20), and Malvaceae, the archives for episodes, such as Native Grounders the mallows (about 20). for Shade and Sun, Beneficial Insects, Plant Propa- Continued on Page 23

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 22 Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies by Martha Mullens Continued from Page 22

Sustaining about 10 species each are the Asterace- Also, Josephine Keeney always puts some informa- ae, the sunflowers, Passifloraceae, the passionflow- tion about butterflies in her articles for the news- ers, Euphorbiaceae, the spurges, and Fagaceae, the letter, as well as in the brochures for the plant sales. beeches and oaks. The authors show examples of These are great resources. But if you want a more each of these families and the butterflies who rely on extensive list try this book. Some examples of plants them. More than 140 butterfly species are illustrated. and butterflies that are native to our area that are illustrated in this book are: two-leaf senna-sleepy There are 201 pages of illustrated plants divided into orange and cloudless sulphur, Texas bluebonnet-gray 4 sections: wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and vines. 2 hairstreak, ground plum-clouded sulphur, frog- pages of the grasses and sedges are listed with their fruit-phaon crescent, clammyweed-checkered white, respective butterflies but with only one photo of a bur oak-banded hairstreak, cottonwood-mourning grass skipper. Each plant is illustrated with 3 photos, cloak, sugar hackberry-hackberry emperor and taw- usually of the flower, leaves and seeds, plus a Texas ny emperor, cedar elm-question mark and eastern map of ecoregion with dots representing the occur- comma, false indigo bush-silver-spotted skipper, rences of these plants. On the opposing page is the turk’s cap-turk’s cap skipper, cenizo-checkerspot, description of the plant: leaves, flowers, fruits, habi- Christmas mistletoe-great purple hairstreak, passion tat, plus other common names and remarks. Also on vine (sp.)-gulf and variegated fritillary, big bluestem this page are the photos of the adult butterflies and grass supports 7 species of skipper, and little blue- larvae that use this plant as a host. Because this text stem supports 9 species of skipper. covers the whole of Texas, there are plants and butterflies that are not found here, but many are, such If you are interested in the life cycle of butterflies, ground plum which supports the clouded sulphur I hope that this synopsis will intrigue you and you and orange sulphur. will check out this wonderful book. You can find it at amazon and eBay for about $20. Also, look up the The authors begin with a page of acknowledgments biography of the authors. You will be astonished, to those people who have contributed information. especially with the achievements of Ro Wauer. Our own Sam Kieschnick is credited there, as is Geyata Ajilvsgi. Next there are 2 pages on How to Use This Book. 5 pages are dedicated to Introduc- tion, including a map of the 10 ecoregion of Texas. Then 10 pages contain discussions of each ecoregion with a representative photo of the topography of each. There are 80 pages of wildflowers, 48 pages of trees, 56 pages of shrubs, 26 pages of vines, and 2 pages of grasses and sedges. There is a glossary of botanical terms, 2 pages of references, including websites, a native plant index and a butterfly index. It is a beautiful book which I would recommend to the gardener who is interested in attracting butterflies.

I know that there is some information on the Rec- ommended Plant List that our organization hands out and is on our website.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 23 Parting Shots - Last Minute News & Views of the Editors by Troy & Martha Mullens

Fall Field Trips By Eric Johnson

Two field trips have been proposed for fall 2019. Clear Creek Park is near Denton, TX. It has several good trails for walking, and it includes the junction of Clear Creek with the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. There is also a pond. The second field trip under consideration is a visit to Oliver Nature Park in Mansfield. We visited this park in the spring, and it was spectacular, but we only saw half of the 80 acre park. Suzette Rogers, who belongs to NCC NPSOT, and lives in the area, met us there and helped to identify the plants we found. If you have any interest in either of these field trips, please let me know at the next NPSOT meeting in Fort Worth. Also, if there is a particular date you might prefer, go ahead and mention this and we will try to comply.

Link to YouTube TED Talk On Tree roots

https://youtu.be/V4m9SefyRjg

“Trees are the foundation of forests, but a forest is much more than what you see.”

Martha Hugs a Big Tree in the Forest

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 24 Parting Shots Page 2 - Last Minute News & Views by the Editors by Troy & Martha Mullens

Fees for Fort Worth Botanic Garden Just a reminder that as of July 19, 2019, there will be a fee to enter Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. This fee does not apply to attendance at meetings, such as NCC NPSOT or Master Naturalist’s. The regular admission is $12 for persons age 16 and older, $10 for seniors 65 and older. $6 for children 6-15. No charge for children 5 and under. $1 for adult SNAP/SIC recipients and no charge for their kids under age 15. Yearly memberships are $50 for individuals and $80 for families. There are many programs that offer free admission under certain circumstances, such as active military are free between Memorial and Labor Day, and local students may enter free from 3-6 PM if they are Fort Worth residents. The money collected in fees will be used for repairs, especially to the conservatory which was closed in 2016. Restoration will allow the return of such programs as Butterflies in the Garden in late February 2020. Other planned maintenance and repairs will include upgrading of greenhouse service, renovation The Gardens restaurant and restoration of its adjacent fragrance garden with increased color plants. Also planned, is a new, open-air electric tram service to transport patrons throughout the gardens. Fort Worth will now join most of the nation’s largest cities in charging admission to its botanical gardens and conservatory. Ray Conrow adds: The Botanic Gardens now charges for admission during normal operating hours. However, admission will not be charged for our general meetings. The Gardens will close for regular public events at 6:00 and a security guard will be stationed at the main (clock) entrance off University. The north entrance off Trail Drive will be locked. Tell the guard you are there to attend the NPSOT meeting. Park where you usually do and enjoy!

Snow on the Mountain and Snow on the Prairie by Troy & Martha Mullens

Snow on the mountain Snow on the Prairie

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 25 Parting Shots Page 3 - Last Minute News & Views by the Editors by Troy & Martha Mullens

Update to making Insect Repellent from American Beautyberry By Karan Rawlins

I have an update on making insect repellent from American beautyberry. I have discovered that if you pick fresh young leaves first thing in the spring, the insect repelling properties are very weak. It is best to wait until leaves are large and fully mature to harvest them for making repellent.

Original article: April 2019 issue, NCC NPSOT News, p. 39 http://www.txnativeplants.org/wp-con- tent/uploads/2019/04/Newslet- Corinna Benson and Sandy Fountain at Discovery ter-2019-April.pdf Gardens after a butterfly gardening workshop.

Photo by Kim Conrow

We need a coordinator for the 2020 spring plant sale ! If you are interested contact, Josephine Keeney.

Don't forget: We are in need of the following positions for the new year (2020)

VP of Programs (officer position), NICE Chair, Event Chair, Field Trips Chair, and Membership Chair. Sign up now, assist with these positions, and be learning the ropes. They are notdifficult. You can always get help. The new positions will start next January. Come to a board meeting and see what these positions are about. Ask questions. Sign up. Your chapter needs you.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 26 Parting Shots Page 4 - Last Minute News & Views by the Editors by Troy & Martha Mullens

Updated Programs

2019 Date Name Title of Presentation

February 7 Suzanne Tuttle Winter Deciduous Woody Plant Fort Worth Nature Center Identiﬁcation (Retired)

March 7 Denis Benjamin Ethnomycology: Mushrooms and BRIT Human Culture

April 4 Megan Davis McConnell Monarch Stewardship in Parker County

May 2 Cameron Barlow, The Pollinator Pathway Project Montana Williams BRIT

June 6 Michael Eason Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert NPSOT Big Bend Chapter

August 1 Karen Harden Native Gardens of our Kim Conrow Members Vicki Kygar

September 5 Michelle Villafranca Native Neighborhoods: Helping Fort Worth Nature Center Pollinators across Fort Worth

October 10 Show and Tell and Trade! Bring a Texas Native Plant to DATE CHANGED— Native Plant Exchange exchange for another. FUN!!! Second Thursday this month

November 7 Kevin Sloan—UTA, “Rewilding” for Environmental Landscape Architect Design

December 5 Holiday Social Pot Luck Dinner, Awards and Introduction of New Ofﬁcers. FUN!!!

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 27 Short List of Plants for a North Central Texas Pollinator Garden

This is meant to be a starter list only and by no means is inclusive of all the wonderful native plants that can be in a pollinator garden. Ask your local NPSOT Chapter (npsot.org) or native nursery’s staff for advice on other choices for your pollinator garden.

Small Trees: Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis), Goldenball Leadtree (Leucaena retusa), Eve’s Necklace (Styphnolobium affine), Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria), American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus)

Bushes/shrubs: Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides), Turkscap (Malvaviscus drummondii), Autumn sage (Salvia greggii), Cenizo (Leucophyllum frutescens), Flame acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus), Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala), Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana)

Milkweeds: larval host plants for Monarch and Queen butterflies. Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Antelope horns (Asclepias asperula), Zizotes (Asclepias oenotheroides), Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)

Others: Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea), Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii), Winecup (Callirhoe involuncrata), Four-nerve daisy (Tetranuris scaposa), Zexmenia (Wedelia hispida), Gayfeathers (Liatris spp.), Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), Maximillian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani), Fall blooming asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), Purple coneflower (Echinacea spp.), Pitcher sage (Salvia azurea) , Scarlet sage (S. coccinea), Frostweed (Verbesina virginica), White mistflower (Ageratina havanensis), Gaillardia (Gaillardia spp.), Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), Sideoats grama grass (Bouteloua curtipendula), Blue Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri), Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

NPSOT mission: Promoting research, conservation and utilization of native plants and plant habitats of Texas through education, outreach and example. (npsot.org) For information on plant bloom times, sizes, water needs and more go to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s native plant data base. wildflower.org

The following sources have more information on pollinators. Xerces - protecting invertebrates and their habitats. https://xerces.org Audubon - protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. http://www.audubon.org NABA - North American Butterfly Association http://www.naba.org Monarch Joint Venture - Partnering to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. https://monarchjointventure.org

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 28 The Half-Earth Pledge - by E. O. Wilson Reported by Troy Mullens

Take the Half-Earth Pledge!

“We ourselves are part of the living world and the only species with the intelligence and thereby the moral responsibility to serve as its caring steward.” —E.O. Wilson

Species are the foundation of a healthy planet. Today, species are going extinct at an alarming rate. Introduced by acclaimed biologist and naturalist E.O. Wilson, Half- Earth offers a solution to the global species extinction crisis: conserve half the Earth’s lands and seas for nature, and ensure the long-term health of our shared planet. Each action, each conservation project, each species saved is an achievement on the path to this grand goal.

The Pledge: As a global citizen, I pledge to do what I can to support the Half-Earth Project:

• Take action to support species conservation; start by exploring the Half- Earth Map conservation priorities areas, as well as information about my home and other areas of interest to me. • Share information about the Half-Earth Project with my network; ask friends and family to join me by signing the Half-Earth Pledge; share my pledge with my social media followers. • Participate in local conservation events; attend a Bioblitz or join a nature group in my area; use the iNaturalist app and upload species observations on my travels in nature. • Support policies that protect the Earth’s lands and oceans; keep up-to- date on local policies; contact your representatives and share your thoughts and opinions on policies, because each policy action plays a role in reaching the grand, achievable Half-Earth goal.

Together, we can protect half the Earth for biodiversity to ensure that species and people have the space they need to thrive together, today and for future generations.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 29 Newsletter Requirements 1. All submissions due by the 15th of the preceding month. Exceptions are at the discretion of the Editor. 2. Articles (text) should preferably be in plain text form. (No pdf’s). Any special formatting requirements should be noted. 3. Photographs & charts should be sent separately as large as possible. Location within the article should be noted. Please include a caption with each photograph and note any individual names of people.

September 5 Program Native Neighborhoods: Helping Pollinators Across Ft. Worth By Michelle Villafranca

Visit us on the Web The purpose of the Native Plant Society of Texas is to promote the conservation, research, and utilization of the at native plants and plant habitats of Texas through www.txnativeplants.org education, outreach, and example.

Join the Native Plant Society of Texas! The North Central Texas NPSOT News Become a member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. Membership is open to any individual, family, or organization. Membership is renewable annually and extends for a year from the is a monthly publication of date we receive your original payment. Note new prices effective April 1, 2019. If you wish to join, please indicate your category of membership, then clip and mail this application with the the North Central Chapter appropriate remittance to: of the Native Plant Society Native Plant Society of Texas of Texas. PO Box 3017, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 For changes of address or ___ Student $35 ___ Family (2 or more) $60 information about contribut- ___ Senior (65+) $35 ___ Patron $100 ing to the newsletter, please ___ Limited Income $35 ___ Benefactor $250 contact the newsletter editor. ___ Individual $45 ___ Supporting $500 The deadline for submitting ___ Lifetime $1200 ___ Additional Chapter(s) $6 articles for inclusion in the Name: ______newsletter is the 15th of every Address: ______preceding month. City, State, Zip: ______County: ______Troy Mullens, Editor Phone: [email protected] Chapter Affiliation: _____North Central Chapter______E-mail: ______Go to https://npsot.org/wp/join-renew/ for an on-line sign-up form or for additional information. A printable form is also available there.

August 2019 NPSOT News North Central Texas Chapter Page 30